AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

The worst thing about mornings was that they went by too quickly. No matter how early Hermione woke up, she never had enough time to do the things she wanted and needed to do. Why couldn't mornings be two hours longer? Did she need to get up earlier to accomplish everything which needed to be done? That was feasible, but that may mean less time with Severus, which wouldn't be so much fun. Still, there were goals to accomplish, things which needed to be done as soon as possible.

Today's goal was to read more about memory spells. So far things had gone well for her. She had woken up at three and decided ten minutes later that going back to sleep was nothing more than wasting time. Thus, she decided to do some research. This brought on a new dilemma though. If she used a lumos, she would awaken Severus. At first, this didn't seem like a terrible idea. Yet when she saw how relaxed he was, and how his mouth almost twitched into a smile when he slept, she decided to read elsewhere, lest she disturb him. Thus she put on her black satin nightgown, took one of the books on magical memory loss, and retreated into the sitting room.

"How long have you been awake?"

She glanced up at him, the lines on his face accentuated by the light of the risen sun. "For a few hours. What about you?"

"For fifteen minutes," he yawned. "When I saw you were gone, I decided to search for you."

"I'm right here," she put the book down. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

"Damn," she exhaled, wondering why she hadn't paid more attention to the increased light in the room. "I have to go to work, don't I?"

"If you want to forego going to work today I'm sure the Ministry will understand. After all, newlyweds should take time to acclimate to each other, unconventional as their union may be."

"Pfft. Why would I want to take time off?" She asked. "I have too many important things to do."

"Yes, but you may want to rest, especially after all the wine you had last night."

"I didn't have that much."

"We finished the whole bottle. I only had one glass. You had much more." He frowned.

"I guess I had fun," she grinned at the thought of the alcohol's buzz and how it increased her euphoria.

"I'm surprised you are feeling as well as you are."

"I feel fine."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She snapped. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You seem to drink more now than you did as a student."

"So, I like drinking. It was good wine, so I drank more than you did. No problem with enjoying life."

"Yes, but that much wine would knock most people out."

"Most people don't metabolize things like I do," she stood. "I can handle alcohol better than anyone else I know."

"And it apparently doesn't tire you in the least."

"Nope," she cheered before skipping out of the room and down the hall. "I feel perfectly fine."

"No hangover?"

"None at all."

Hermione didn't notice Severus shaking his head and cursing morning people under his breath.

Hermione was aware that people were staring at her. This was no surprise. After breakfast, she and Severus had received the morning paper. Their marriage had made the front page, along with Ron's crying face. The demise of their relationship shocked many readers, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. Anyone could've seen the breakup coming, at least anyone who paid any attention to her. Why was everyone acting like it was an unexpected tragedy?

Why did anyone care who she married anyway? Was it anyone's business how she felt about her husband other than her own? Did the Wizarding World have nothing better to do than pry into her business and speculate on when she would have a baby? Why did anyone care about whether she had a baby anyway? Did the press have nothing better to do than harass her?

She would say she wanted the press to go away, but right now she needed people's attention. Everyone needed to hang on her every word and see what amazing things she was doing. Within the next week, she was going to write the bill that would liberate house elves. Everyone was going to love her new bill! She just knew it! All she needed to do was iron out the details, such as what kinds of clothes the elves would be required to wear. She thought at minimum they should wear boots. Nothing hurt worse than stepping on a pebble when walking. She hated it when that happened. How annoying. Elves should wear boots, and maybe a coat in the winter. Hermione hated the cold. It was so obnoxious, just like that horrid Forest of Dean…

"Hermione?"

Speaking of obnoxious things.

"Hello Arthur," she covered her parchment so he couldn't steal her ideas. This bill was too brilliant to allow anyone else to see it, not until she was good and ready for them to see it. "What brings you and Bill here?"

"We want to know if you need our help," Bill began.

"Help with what?" She drawled.

"Help with whatever spell Snape has put you under."

"What spell is he supposed to have put me under?"

Bill pointed his wand at Hermione. "Spune-mi dacă prietenul meu este blestemat."

A jolt of magic raced up her spine. She snarled as the vibrations throughout her body caused a dull ache in her stomach. Once it was over, a white mist rose from her body.

"You," Bill dropped his wand, "You aren't cursed."

"No, I'm not you fucking arse!" She shouted.

"I don't understand," Arthur swallowed. "You've been acting so crazy these last few weeks. It's like you're a different person."

"I am who I am, and I'm trying to work!"

"I know, but you haven't been acting like yourself. We're all very worried about you and your recent decisions."

"Oh my God is this about Ron?" Hermione gritted her teeth. "I said I'm sorry. We were broken up when I moved on with Severus, but he can't accept that. It isn't my fault he now needs a bride."

"You were supposed to be his bride," Arthur snapped.

"Maybe I didn't want to be."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I don't know if Ron and I loved each other given how much we fought."

"So now you didn't love Ron?"

Half the people in the office looked at Hermione.

"I think I did love Ron, but I never should've been in a romantic relationship with him," she argued. "I think we were great friends, and he was fun to be around. Still, he annoyed me, and I know I annoyed him. The relationship was dragging us both down. We didn't belong together."

"So you cheated on him?"

"So we broke up and I married someone else," she snapped. "I'm sorry if he decided we weren't broken up anymore by the time I slept with Severus…"

"He's Severus now?" Bill exclaimed.

Now all eyes were on the Weasleys and Hermione.

"Well his name isn't Henry, so yes, it's Severus."

"Oh Merlin," Arthur shook his head.

"What?"

"You, you really are as selfish and self-absorbed as Molly says you are."

"Oh she's one to talk," Hermione burst out laughing. "If anyone is selfish and self-absorbed, it's her. Good God I never wanted her as a mother-in-law."

"What are you talking about?"

"All Molly ever did was coddle Ron and criticize anyone who hurt her precious baby. It was annoying as all hell when he'd call her during our fights, and she'd force us to make up. I tried to tell her to butt out a few times, but then she began to scream at me. All she does is scream when she doesn't get her way. She was like her son in that way. That's why they annoyed me."

"So you never loved Ron because he annoyed you?" Bill asked.

"Don't put words in my mouth. I loved Ron, but it should've been only as a friend. I need someone else in a lover though, like a man," her heart fluttered at the memory of Severus taking her into his arms, the last of her clothes stripped, her body willing for him to take her, "a real man. I need a real man in my life, one who can excite me like nobody else does."

"You are a selfish bitch!" Arthur shouted.

"Would people stop calling me that?" Hermione retorted. "I'm not a bitch! I'm a woman who's fed up with all of you Weasleys."

"We're fed up with you as well," Arthur snapped.

"Don't ever come near us again," Bill ordered. "Don't ever come near Ron again. You want things to be over between you and his obnoxious family? Now it is."

"Why are you yelling at me?" she argued. "You two are the ones who went to my desk and began shouting at me! Why can't you mind your own stupid business and let me be happy?"

"What's going on here?"

All eyes turned to the doorway.

Kingsley stepped through, his eyes hard as a stallion's hooves, "I could hear all of you from halfway down the hall. It's becoming difficult to discuss the Ministry finances with all of you shouting."

"I'm taking my lunch break," Hermione replied.

"It's ten thirty," Kingsley noted.

"Yes, well, I'm done working for now. I'm taking a break."

"You cannot just leave."

"What are you going to do, incarcerous me?"

Kingsley blinked.

"That's what I thought," she grinned before marching off.

When she reached the outside of the building, her scowl returned. Who did the Weasleys think they were going up to her and shouting at her like she was a bitch? They interrupted her important bill writing, and now her train of thought was gone. She knew the house elves should be free, but her reasoning was murky. Something about living beings not being subjected to slavery and other such reasons. How to put that into words without calling people idiots though? People were idiots, but she wasn't sure she should say that. It was a conundrum she wasn't sure she'd ever solve.

She rushed down the street, hoping to expel the energy which had been welling within her. Why did everyone else get to be happy without playing twenty questions and she couldn't even write a bill in peace? Everyone else was allowed to smile and enjoy life, but she needed to be miserable because she made her ex-fiance cry. Ron said he needed a break. Why was she being punished for moving on? This is what they wanted! He may want this too! Why was nobody accepting that?

Before she could meditate on her quandary for too long, she stopped in front of Flourish and Botts. Her eyes grew as her heart raced. With a smile on her face, she ran inside.

Books! So many books! There were books on everything!

This was where she was safest, where she could get lost and never escape. Oh, and she'd just been paid, so she could afford to splurge. She had two incomes now, so she could splurge even more! It was all necessary too. She needed books on gardening, memory spells, some crosswords, lots of crosswords so she had something to do when she was bored. Some books on potions which affected the brain would be helpful, and if there was anything on philosophy she'd appreciate that too. Now that she was married, she had two incomes. She could afford to go as wild as possible!

The day was more than salvageable.